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Intermediate patellar ligament desmopathy often occurs in conjunction with other stifle abnormalities.
Abstract: Intermediate patellar ligament (IPL) desmopathy is a relatively uncommon injury previously reported to have a poor prognosis for return to athletic activity. There is little documentation of the clinical and ultrasonographic features, clinical significance, and outcome for return to work following IPL injury in horses. The aim of this retrospective descriptive study was to describe the clinical and ultrasonographic features of IPL desmopathy, its association with other injuries of the stifle, and outcome for return to work following injury. Forty-two stifles with an ultrasound diagnosis of IPL desmopathy over a 5-year time period were included. Data regarding signalment, clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging findings, treatment, and outcome are described. Intermediate patellar ligament desmopathy occurred most commonly in the midbody (35/42; 83%) of the ligament and lesions were predominantly hypoechoic discrete tears (31/42; 74%) that were obliquely oriented in a craniolateral to caudomedial direction (28/42; 67%). Rarely (1/42; 2%) was IPL desmopathy the only ultrasonographic abnormality detected. Of 13 horses that underwent recheck ultrasound examination, the majority (11/42; 85%) either did not improve or worsened ultrasonographically. Despite this, of 25 horses with long-term follow-up, 23 (92%) returned to work, 16 at the same level or higher. A variety of treatments were utilized. The clinical significance of IPL desmopathy is difficult to determine because it is usually found in conjunction with other stifle abnormalities. Although IPL desmopathy rarely shows ultrasonographic improvement over time, prognosis can be good for return to work.
© 2019 American College of Veterinary Radiology.
Publication Date: 2019-05-21 PubMed ID: 31113012DOI: 10.1111/vru.12760Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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The study analyses the rare condition, Intermediate Patellar Ligament (IPL) Desmopathy, in horses, it’s connection with other stifle injuries and their prognosis, documenting its clinical and diagnostic features, treatments and outcomes.
Study Overview
This research investigates the IPL desmopathy in horses that occurs seldomly but usually in association with other injuries of the stifle. The study was conducted retrospectively, focusing on:
- A description of the clinical and ultrasonographic manifestation of IPL desmopathy.
- The linkage of this condition with other stifle injuries.
- The possible outcomes following IPL injury.
Research Methodology and Findings
The researchers looked into a 5-year timeline focusing on 42 stifle cases diagnosed with IPL desmopathy through ultrasonography. The research explored various facets such as:
- Patient characteristics, medical history and the manner of clinical presentation.
- Findings from the diagnostic imaging.
- Treatment administered and corresponding results.
The data indicated that the desmopathy mainly occurred in the midbody of the ligament. Most lesions were detected to be hypoechoic and discrete tears that aligned in a specific (craniolateral to caudomedial) direction. Rarely detected was the case where IPL desmopathy was the sole abnormality on ultrasound.
Prognosis and Treatment
The follow-up via ultrasound showed that in most cases, the condition either remained steady or got worse. However, despite this, the prognosis for their return to work remained encouraging. The study found that a significant number of horses (92%) with long-term follow-up returned to their work—with 16 of them even working at the same or higher level. The treatment regimens were varied, however.
Conclusion
Even though IPL desmopathy rarely shows ultrasonographic improvement over time, the prognosis can be good for the horse’s return to work. The study concludes that it is challenging to determine the clinical significance of IPL desmopathy due to its common occurrence in conjunction with other stifle abnormalities.
Cite This Article
APA
Hoaglund EL, Barrett MF, Daglish J, Contino EK.
(2019).
Intermediate patellar ligament desmopathy often occurs in conjunction with other stifle abnormalities.
Vet Radiol Ultrasound, 60(4), 416-422.
https://doi.org/10.1111/vru.12760 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
- Horses
- Joint Diseases / diagnosis
- Joint Diseases / diagnostic imaging
- Joint Diseases / veterinary
- Patellar Ligament / abnormalities
- Patellar Ligament / diagnostic imaging
- Patellar Ligament / injuries
- Prognosis
- Retrospective Studies
- Stifle / abnormalities
- Stifle / diagnostic imaging
- Stifle / injuries
- Ultrasonography / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Fjordbakk CT, Marques-Smith P. The equine patellar ligaments and the infrapatellar fat pad - a microanatomical study. BMC Vet Res 2023 Jan 23;19(1):20.
- Law E, Wright L, Uhlhorn M, Hernlund E, Nilemo C, Rhodin M. Hypoechoic ultrasonographic findings in the patellar ligaments are common in riding and trotting horses in training (116 cases). Vet Radiol Ultrasound 2025 Jan;66(1):e13446.
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